


Anything He Can Do

by kikikryslee



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Banter, Best Friends, First Dates, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jealous Louis, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-02 18:11:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13323696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kikikryslee/pseuds/kikikryslee
Summary: “So you guys want to hang out this weekend? Maybe Saturday?” Niall asked.“I can't," Harry said. "I, uh, have a date.”Louis instantly stiffened. “You do?”“Yeah.”“With who?” Liam asked.“Just this guy…” Harry started. “He’s funny and sweet and he has these incredible blue eyes.”I have blue eyes, Louis thought bitterly.Instead of saying that, though, all that came out was, "Great, H, that’s really…great."---Or, the one where Louis is in love with Harry and can't help but be mad at Harry's upcoming date. Until he finds out who Harry is actually planning on taking out.





	Anything He Can Do

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello, there! It's been a while! 
> 
> I literally wrote this in about five hours because I was so excited to be participating in this challenge again. I missed it. 
> 
> In case you didn't know, this fic was written as part of an ongoing challenge. We each select random numbers and are given a specific emotion from the book 1000 Feelings For Which There Are No Names. To read the other fics written in this challenge, [click here](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/ShortFic_Challenge_For_Which_There_Is_No_Name/works), or you can find the masterpost on tumblr [here](http://lululawrence.tumblr.com/post/159679804243/1000-feelings-for-which-there-are-no-names-prompt).
> 
> Thank you so much to [Sam](http://just-end-it.tumblr.com/) and [Kat](http://harrystinyshorts.tumblr.com/) for their quick beta'ing! 
> 
> The prompt for this was 262. The fear of totally messing up your performance. The title is a play on the song "Anything You Can Do." 
> 
> Enjoy!

Louis could’ve spent the rest of his life watching Harry talk. He was just so… calming. The way his eyebrows curved downward when he started thinking about something, the way his hands moved sideways as he tried to set the scene of a story, the way his voice changed the slightest bit as he impersonated different people.  

It was absolutely fascinating.

Even right now in this bar, at the booth where he was sitting with him, Niall and Liam, all he could focus on was Harry.

“So finally I just knocked on her door,” Harry was saying, “and told her that I lived below her and asked her to stop her tap dancing routines because it was really giving me a headache. And you know what she said?”

“What?” Liam asked.

“That she didn’t even know there was someone living below her and that she was really sorry. So it was just a misunderstanding! Hasn’t happened since.”

“Oh, that’s great, Haz.”

Suddenly he felt a pinch in his side and he jumped to get away from it, banging his elbow on the table in the process.

“Whoa, Lou, you OK?” Liam asked at Louis’ sudden movement.

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine,” Louis said, rubbing his elbow.

“You sure?” Harry asked.

“Yeah. Positive.”

He shot a glance over at Niall, who sat beside him.

His friend just raised an eyebrow at him and took a sip of his beer, as if he was daring Louis to call him out on it.  

And yeah, he’d definitely been caught staring. Again.

It wasn’t like it was his fault.

“So you guys want to hang out this weekend? Maybe Saturday?” Niall asked. “We can finally get the new Mario Kart going.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Liam said.

Louis glanced over at Harry to see what his reaction would be. Usually in situations like this, it was an ‘I’ll go if you go’ understanding, as neither of them were the best at Mario Kart, but enjoyed hanging out with friends.

But of course, Harry was suddenly very interested in the label on his beer bottle, and wasn’t looking at Louis at all.

Louis quickly kicked his leg out, happy when his foot made contact.

“Ow!” Liam cried out.

_Oops. Wrong person._

“Niall, did you kick me?” Liam asked.

“No, why would I kick you?”

And then they both looked over at Louis. Of course that’s when Harry finally looked up.

 _Oh now you want to look at me,_ Louis thought to himself.

“Sorry, Payno,” Louis said. “Stretched my leg. Guess I put too much force behind it.”

“Oh. OK. Anyway, Louis, are you coming?” Liam asked.

“Uh, yeah, sounds great,” Louis answered, after seeing that Harry had now looked back at his beer bottle.

“Cool. Harry?” Niall asked.

“Uh, sorry, boys, I can’t,” Harry replied. “I, uh, have a date.”

Louis instantly stiffened. “You do?”

“Yeah.”

“With who?” Liam asked.

Louis wanted to kick him again.

“Just this guy…” Harry started.

“Just a guy? Tell us about him, Haz,” Niall said.

Louis wanted to kick him, too. Everybody was going on his list tonight.

“He’s funny and sweet and he has these incredible blue eyes.”

 _I have blue eyes,_ Louis thought bitterly.

“Aww, that’s great, Haz,” Niall said.

“He doesn’t like me as much as I like him, though,” Harry continued.

“Why are you going out with him, then?” Louis muttered.

He’d thought it was quiet enough that nobody would hear, but of course his best friend was so attuned to him that he heard every word.

“Well, he likes me enough,” Harry responded with a smile. “But he was scared to make the first move, so I had to do it.”

Louis hummed. “Great, H, that’s really…  _great_. Uh, I’m getting another beer. Be right back, boys.”

Louis shot out of the booth and headed for the bar. As he tried to flag down a bartender, he looked back at the table. He saw his friends all huddled together and giggling about something.

Well, at least they were happy. Louis, on the other hand, was just annoyed.

\---

When Louis got home that night, he didn’t even bother to kick off his sneakers before walking over to his couch and plopping facedown on it.

He just let out a loud groan into the cushions, wondering where he’d gone wrong in life.

OK, even he could admit that was a bit extreme.

He turned over and stared at the ceiling and thought over the events of the evening.

Harry was going on a date. And, OK, he was happy for his best friend. He really was. But he wondered why Harry couldn’t just be happy with  _him_.

He and Harry had been best friends since first grade, when Harry had asked Louis if he thought white glue or glitter glue tasted better. Of course Louis told him to try both, and luckily for Harry, their teacher, Miss Sinclair, got to him before the glue reached his lips.

Since then, the two of them had been inseparable, going through the same schools – even college – together.

And sure he’d figured out early on that he definitely had an interest in boys – once he realized his stares at other guys in the locker room could be chalked up to something more than curiosity over how they got their abs so ripped – but it took him until last year to figure out he was interested in Harry specifically.

It was when Harry had been crying over an asshole ex-boyfriend, and Louis thought to himself that he wouldn’t mind consoling Harry for the rest of their lives.

It took Louis by surprise, sure, but it honestly made sense. It made even more sense when he told Niall and Liam and their reactions were something along the lines of ‘No shit,’ and ‘Next you’re going to tell us that Niall is Irish.’

So, OK, he hadn’t been the best at hiding his feelings, but he must have been at least decent at it, because Harry still hadn’t picked up on them.

But it didn’t matter now, because he had a date with someone in just four days, some random guy who would probably marry Harry and give him lots of babies and a happy life and Louis would just be alone forever.

OK, he needed to get it together.

Louis sighed and rolled off the couch. He headed for the kitchen. He definitely needed another beer.

\---

**_Harry: can I ask you for a favor?_ **

**_Louis: no_ **

**_Harry: Please?_ **

**_Louis: no_ **

**_Harry: PLEASE_ **

**_Louis: fine. what’s up?_ **

**_Harry: can you help me get ready for my date tomorrow night?_ **

Louis almost dropped his phone. Whatever God was up in the skies above must’ve really had it out for him. 

“How the fuck do I get out of this?” he thought out loud.

**_Louis: since when do you need help getting ready for a date?_ **

**_Harry: since I officially started freaking out and don’t know what to wear_ **

**_Harry: I have nothing_ **

**_Louis: you have the best clothes out of all of us. you’ll be fine_ **

**_Harry: please, Louis!_ **

**_Louis: can’t you ask niall or liam?_ **

**_Harry: yeah right!_ **

**_Harry: liam would give me an under armour hoodie and camo pants with that weird chain of his_ **

**_Harry: niall would give me a cowboy hat with some random plaid flannel button-down shirt and some straw to put between my teeth_ **

**_Louis: why straw?_ **

**_Harry: to keep up with the farmer look. keep up louis_ **

**_Louis: but I have plans with niall and liam that night, remember?_ **

Even Louis knew that was a weak argument.

**_Harry: I’ll come over before. please louis??????_ **

**_Harry: I really want him to like me_ **

**_Harry: =(_ **

Louis sighed, because he could practically see Harry at his apartment, pouting over this wonderful guy that Louis and the rest of his friends had yet to meet.

Plus, Louis really did want to be a good best friend.

Damn, this guilt trip Harry was pulling was working.

**_Louis: ok if you come over before I’ll help you_ **

**_Harry: thank you thank you thank you!_ **

**_Harry: you’re the best, you know that?_ **

**_Louis: I do. but you don’t say it enough_ **

**_Harry: you’re the absolute best. best ever. can’t find anyone else like you_ **

Louis put his phone down after that.

Clearly he wasn’t the best if someone else already had Harry’s heart.  

\---

So that was how Louis found himself in his bedroom on Saturday night with Harry’s clothes scattered all over the place.

Just not at all in the way he’d hoped for.

“Do you think I can wear this one?” Harry asked, holding up the one Louis always referred to as a Charlie Brown[ shirt](https://media.gq.com/photos/57ec3c7d5a6573c366552e8c/master/pass/Harry-Styles-Style-2015-06-06-15.jpg).

“Remind me again where you’re going,” Louis said, looking through the rest of the prints currently on his bed.

“Gia Nina’s, the new Italian one in Philly.”

Louis whistled lowly. “Fancy, H.”

“You think he’ll like it?”

“He’d be an idiot not to. That’s like, the most popular place around right now.”

“Good. I’m hoping to really impress him.”

Louis stiffly nodded. “No, put that one back.”

“OK. How about this[ one](http://cdn.playbuzz.com/cdn/4cf56ad4-a3c1-4d4d-9646-b9cb6d96a9fa/a8cd6470-7428-4496-b1ac-3f31443bb8bc.jpg)? I haven’t had the chance to wear this one yet.”

Louis wrinkled his nose. “No, I think it’s too bright. Think more subdued for the environment.”

“OK.” Harry put the shirt down and looked at the options again. “This one?”

He held up a light-blue button-up shirt.

“It’s a nice color,” Louis said.

“I kind of want to wear a pattern, though.”

“So wear a pattern, then. How does, um,  _your date_ feel about patterns?”

“Um… He likes them. He kind of makes fun of me when I wear them sometimes, though.”

“Oh, he makes fun of you? That’s nice.”

Harry smiled. “I mean, he’s just teasing, though. I think he secretly likes them.”

 _I secretly like_ you.

“Oh,” Louis said instead. “Well, good, then.”

Harry put down the blue shirt and grabbed another[ one](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/5994595/FFN_Styles_Harry_MUG_030216_51961537.0.jpg).

“Kind of Hawaiian for an Italian place, isn’t it?”

Harry pouted, but put the shirt back.

“Where are your jackets?” Louis asked. “Maybe we can get a shirt and blazer combo going on.”

“Oooh! You know which one I have?”

“Don’t say the white and black one.”

“The white and black[ one](https://www.fuse.tv/image/56af95e69a160e190b0000d1/768/512/3-harry-styles-fashionable-outfits.jpg)!”

Louis shook his head. “No, Harry.”

“You love this one.”

“I know I do, but honestly it only looks good with the pants, and you’re not going to wear a suit to dinner.”

“Why not?” Harry asked.

“Well, wearing a suit to a first date is a bit like a business transaction don’t you think?”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, you want him to know you’re there for a date, not to prepare his taxes.”

“What kind of tax broker do you know who would work in this suit?”

Louis pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oh, my God.”

“I see your point, though. Fine. Black blazer.”

“Thank you.”

“Black jeans OK?”

“I think so,” Louis said. “Again, it’s not a-”

“Business transaction, I got it.”

“Right. You’re not trying to sell him real estate.”

“Where are all of these business examples coming from?”

“I don’t know. They just keep coming to me.”

“You’re so strange,” Harry muttered.

“And yet you keep me around.”

“It’s been twenty years. Might as well keep it going.”

“True. Black leather boots?” Louis asked, getting back to the task at hand.

“Given.”

“OK. So we just need a shirt.”

“Is this[ one](http://cdn.playbuzz.com/cdn/4cf56ad4-a3c1-4d4d-9646-b9cb6d96a9fa/80d1dbb7-8378-44aa-a755-f4311b4f1587.jpg) too Valentine’s Day?”

Louis shook his head. “No, but for a first date, it sends a very clear ‘I’ve already planned our wedding and named our children’ vibe.”

Harry looked at the shirt again and widened his eyes. “No, then.”

“How about this[ one](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/27/aa/65/27aa65532da4f315b87019fddc8eed82--millennial-generation-blank-canvas.jpg)?” Louis asked, holding up another shirt.

“I do like that one. I was thinking some color, though.”

“Got it.”

“Wait!”

Harry moved some shirts aside and picked up one last shirt. “How about this one?”

Louis nodded his approval. “I think we have an[ outfit](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1d/07/50/1d075075e259e6bbd9fba31fe7c70000.jpg).”

“Really?” Harry asked excitedly.

“Really!”

“Yes!” Harry immediately dropped his shirt to the bed and stripped off the one he was currently wearing.

Louis had to stifle the groan that threatened to come out. Sure he’d seen Harry shirtless before. He’d also seen him in his underwear more times than he could count and completely naked on more than one occasion.

But still, each time he saw him in a various state of undress, it still made him want to cry at Harry’s beauty.

Louis didn’t know if he should leave the room or not, but Harry was dressing so quickly it probably would’ve taken him longer to stutter out a reason for leaving than for Harry to finish changing. So Louis just stood there, looking awkwardly at the clothes still piled on his bed.

“OK, how do I look?”

Louis looked up and wasn’t surprised at how amazing Harry looked. Harry always cleaned up well.

“You look great,” Louis sadly admitted.

“Thanks.” He picked up another bag from off the floor. “Now, I just need to get this hair under control.”

He headed for the bathroom, and Louis called after him, “Yeah, make sure those curls behave themselves tonight.”

“You know it!”

Louis waited patiently outside of the open door while Harry finished getting ready.

And then, because apparently he hated himself, he asked, “So what else about this guy has you so nervous?”

“Well, I really like him,” Harry answered.

“I’d hope so for all of this worrying you’re doing.”

“He’s… I don’t know. He’s just so smart and funny and cute.”

_I’m smart and funny and cute._

“Uh-huh. What else?” Louis asked instead.

“He’s completely selfless. And he’s got a big family, and he loves all of his siblings so much.”

_I have a big family. We could probably adopt you and nobody would even notice the new addition._

“And he has this amazing smile and he just makes me feel like I can do anything, you know? Like, I can try anything because even if I fail, he’ll still be there to support me and encourage me to get up and try again.”

 _I’m all of those things!_ Louis wanted to scream. God, at the rate Harry was going, he was probably going to say that his name was similar to Louis’, too, like Logan... Thompson or something.  

“He sounds great, Harry,” Louis said sadly.

“He’s wonderful.”

A few minutes later, Harry emerged from the bathroom.

“OK. How do I look?” he asked.

The short answer was that Harry looked amazing.

A longer version would be that Harry absolutely took Louis’ breath away. His shoulder-length curls looked shiny and bouncy, just perfect for Louis to run his fingers through. The outfit they’d decided on looked wonderful on Harry’s body and he was practically glowing with excitement.

“He won’t know what hit him,” Louis said, hoping he sounded more enthusiastic than he felt.

“Thanks, Lou.”

“You’re welcome. Now come on; let’s get you out of here. Your reservation is in an hour.”

They packed up Harry’s things into the bags he’d brought them in and carried them to the door.

“Do you want help carrying these to your car?” Louis asked.

“Nope,” Harry answered immediately. He took out his phone and Louis saw him fire off a text.

_Probably letting the guy know he’s leaving._

“OK, I’m off,” Harry said, putting his phone in his pocket. “Have fun tonight with Niall and Liam. Wish me luck.”

“Will do. Good luck, although I’m sure you won’t need it.”

Harry smiled at Louis’ kind words and pulled him into a quick hug.

“OK, get out of here,” Louis joked.

“I’m leaving, I’m leaving.” Harry grabbed his bags and walked into the hallway. “See you later!”

“See you.”

When he closed the door behind him, Louis just leaned against it for a minute, thinking about how he now had to go to Niall’s and act like this date wasn’t actually bothering him.

Fortunately, he didn’t have too much time to wallow. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and pulled it out to see a message from Niall.

**_Niall: hey, I’ve been in bed all day with a stomach bug. can’t make it tonight. sorry!_ **

Louis sighed. Well, that was OK. At least he could still hang out with Liam and drink his sorrows away.

At the bottom of the screen, three gray dots appeared, so he knew Liam had seen the message, too. But he was annoyed at what came through.

**_Liam: oh, that’s ok, niall. I was about to cancel anyway. my sister just came over and wants to hang out??? don’t know. random._ **

Louis frowned.

 _What the fuck?_ How were  _both_ of them bailing at the last minute?

Louis just shook his head and headed for the fridge. Looks like he would be drinking alone tonight.

Just as he dug his bottle opener out of the drawer next to the sink, he heard a knock at the door. He put the beer down on the counter and went to answer it.

When he looked through the peephole, though, he was really confused because he saw…

“Harry?” he asked, pulling open the door.

“Hey, Lou,” Harry replied, now holding roses in his hands.

“What are you doing here? You’re going to be late for your date.”

“No, I’m not.”

“I don’t understand.”

Harry took a deep breath. “Louis, I’ve told you about this guy I like, right?”

“Yeah…”

“With blue eyes and a big family? And he’s so funny and sweet and beautiful?”

Louis ducked his head and toed at the carpet. “Yeah. So?”

“And he’s all I’ve been thinking about for the last few months?”

“God, yes,” Louis groaned. “Jeez, you don’t have to rub it in, Harry. Get to the point.”

Harry grinned.

“Why are you doing your creepy murderer stare? What?”

“You’re suddenly free right now, right? Your plans got cancelled?”

Louis stood up straight and turned to face his apartment, taking a quick glance around as if he was going to find a secret hidden camera.

“How did you-?”

“Louis…”

“Harry…?”

“Louis, if you would do me the honor of going on a date with me, it would absolutely make my year, because, the guy I’ve been talking about the last few days… is you.”

Louis could practically feel his jaw drop. “What? It is?”

Harry nodded. “Of course, Louis. You’re the most-”

But Harry didn’t get to finish his thought, because suddenly Louis was whacking him across the chest.

“Ow!” Harry cried. “Stop it!”

“You’re the most dramatic person I’ve ever met!” Louis said, getting one last hit on the arm. “You couldn’t just ask me out like a normal guy?”

Harry stood completely still, trying not to let his smile show through.

Louis took a deep breath. Then he leaned against the door. “But, I mean, I guess, you know, since I don’t have any other plans tonight, I guess I can do that.”

Harry positively beamed and stepped into the apartment, pulling Louis into a tight hug.

“Thank you,” Harry said quietly.

“Always the drama queen,” Louis muttered into Harry’s chest.

“You know that best, babe, don’t you?”

Louis just nodded. Then he pulled back just slightly enough to kiss Harry softly on the cheek.

Harry wrinkled up his nose and made at face at Louis. Then he remembered the flowers still in his hand.

“These are for you, by the way,” he said.

“They better be. And they’re beautiful. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll put them in water for you. You might want to get ready. Our reservation is in an hour.”

Louis’ eyes widened and he broke out of Harry’s embrace, running down the hall to his room, now having to find something to wear. He’d spent so long with Harry trying to find him the perfect outfit, he hoped he still had a bit of inspiration for himself.

\---

Luckily, Louis had been able to figure out his[ outfit](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/dd/30/58/dd3058e8715956ec8137cecd8a838d7c--louie-tomlinson-celebrities.jpg) easily enough, and they made it in time for their reservation.

After they placed their orders with the waitress, Louis said, “So, you have to explain this all to me. You know that, right?”

Harry nodded. “Of course. You want the full story?”

“Please.”

“OK, so… I think that I realized I liked you a few months ago. Remember that weekend when you were really sick?”

Louis groaned and dropped his head into his hands. “Yes. Don’t remind me. It was awful.”

“Yeah, it really was. You were just so clingy – more than usual – and wanted so much attention, and I just remember holding you on the couch and not being at all bothered by all the gross tissues on the table or how droopy your eyes were. You were so cute and I just didn’t want to be anywhere else.”

“That’s disgusting, Harry.”

Harry snorted.

“No, seriously. I wasn’t  _cute_ that weekend. I was coughing and couldn’t eat anything and my eyes were puffy and my nose was all red.”

“But you were still the cutest guy ever.”

Louis shrugged a shoulder. “I can be pretty cute.”

Harry just shook his head. “Anyway, a few weeks ago, I told Liam and Niall.”

“Oh, how did that go?”

“Well, Liam said they already knew, and Niall didn’t even look up from the burger he was eating. So, I guess I wasn’t that subtle.”

“That’s about the reaction they gave me when I told them I liked you.”

Harry stared at him. “They already knew you liked me?”

“Yeah.”

“Wish they would’ve told me that. I wouldn’t have stressed over tonight.”

Louis smiled. “Well, why would they do that? That would just take all the fun out of it.”

“I guess.”

“So how did you plan all of this, anyway? And when?”

“Uhh… Well, I guess I planned it last week,” Harry answered. “I figured, why keep waiting, you know?”

Louis nodded for him to continue.

“So, I asked them if they wouldn’t mind helping, and of course they said they would. It was kind of funny, actually. They were both nervous of messing up and giving it away. But I told them to just try to act natural and they wouldn’t.”

“And you?” Louis asked. “Were you scared of giving it all away?”

“Oh, I was terrified,” Harry admitted. “I was also scared that you would say ‘no,’ and then we’d all just have no plans on this wonderful Saturday night.”

“Was that part of the plan, too? Getting them to make plans and then cancel last minute?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, I had to make sure you wouldn’t be somewhere else when I made this grand gesture. We talked about it a lot, actually: what they would say at the bar to get you to agree to hang out with just them, and then what to tell you tonight when they had to randomly cancel.”

Louis rolled his eyes. “I should’ve known something was up when Liam said his sister came to visit.”

“ _That_ ’s the excuse he came up with? I told them to come up with something believable. Did he forget that both of his sisters live over an hour away?”

Louis shrugged. “It’s not like I had that much time to dwell on it. You showed up like, a minute later.”

“Yeah, I know. I ran down to my car to put my clothes away and grabbed the roses. Then I waited until they both texted me that they bailed on you before I knocked. Didn’t want to waste any time, you know.”

“You’re kind of ridiculous, you know that?”

“Eh. I can live with that. I mean, as long as you still like it.”

Louis pretended to think about that.

“Hey!” Harry protested.

“Just kidding. Pretty sure I like everything about you.”

Harry blushed and looked down at the table.

Louis was pretty sure he’d never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!  
> If you liked it, maybe reblog this [post](http://flamboyantommo.tumblr.com/post/169548268757)?   
> <3


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